Planning your wedding: the essential things to know
Contrary to popular belief, the wedding date is not the end point in wedding planning, but the starting point. The period chosen will not only dictate the scheduling. It will influence the bride and groom’s outfits, the characteristics of the reception and the honeymoon destination. It will provide creative ideas for the theme of the arrangements, the floral decorations, the type of menu, the setting for the photo shoot. Planning your wedding is certainly demanding, but it must be a pleasure for the bride and groom, who during the preparations experience the joys and small compromises of shared choices.
To face this phase with tranquillity and a pinch of healthy euphoria, it is important to move “at wedding time”. Bearing in mind that some structures, such as the Antiche Scuderie Odescalchi, are able to cater for all needs, without losing sight of the couple’s dreams and desires.
Choose your timing carefully
Although spring 2022 is still in full bloom, now is the right time to start planning your 2023 wedding. Especially for those who want to organise their wedding during the warm season. May, June and September are among the most popular months. Planning a year in advance means having plenty of time to set the date, which often has a symbolic value for the bride and groom. It allows you to carefully select the location, carefully plan the type of ceremony and the mood of the reception. It guarantees a wide range of possibilities when it comes to choosing a caterer, wedding planner, flower designer, photographer and musicians. It is also necessary to take into account the bureaucratic aspects: the wedding, which by law is a contract, has a specific procedure. There are many documents to produce and it is important to prevent any kind of inconvenience.
At least 10 months before the event, it is a good idea to decide which professionals will be responsible for the set-up, the menu, the floral decorations, the background music, the photos and any video images. These are important details that will determine the success of the wedding. The bride will also need to start thinking about her dress, which sometimes requires several fittings and tailoring changes.
About seven months before the wedding, the photographer, musicians and DJ (if any) need to be confirmed, the floral decorations need to be ordered, and a specialised car hire company needs to be found in case the bride and groom need a special vehicle or a bus is needed to transport guests.
Etiquette dictates that invitations should be delivered about 50 days before the event. In any case, it is a good idea to send them at least 2/3 months in advance, to give guests the chance to organise themselves and receive their confirmation in time. In addition to traditional paper invitations (which can also be made of recycled or semi-plantable paper), you can opt for electronic invitations with personalised graphics or for online invitations, structured like small websites. To ensure that the graphic design and printing are not delayed, it is advisable to get information at least 5 months in advance.
Religious ceremony and civil ceremony: differences and similarities
The first dilemma to face, for couples planning their wedding, certainly concerns the ceremony. Religious ceremony or civil ceremony? On an administrative level, the documents to be produced are the same:
- contextual certificate of residence, citizenship and marital status;
- full copy of the birth certificate
- a record of the previous marriage accompanied by the divorce decree or the death certificate of the spouse (in the case of a second marriage).
If the marriage is celebrated in a place other than the one in which one resides, it is essential to obtain the authorisation of the local authority.
The promise of marriage, with which the couple formalises their intention to marry, is not legally binding, but is indispensable for the purposes of publication. The bride and groom must go to the banns’ office with their fiscal code and a valid identity document, fill out a self-certification form and submit the request. The Marriage Office will then collect the necessary documentation. Once the necessary verifications have been carried out, the Municipality will post the publications on the municipal notice board or place them on its institutional website. By law, publications must be available for consultation for eight consecutive days, followed by a further three days for any objections. In order to avoid delays and bureaucratic obstacles, it is important to make the promise of marriage at least 2/3 months before the date fixed for the wedding. For situations that require more complex procedures, such as second marriages or marriages to foreign nationals, it would be preferable to move 6 months in advance. Once the authorisation has been obtained, the wedding must be celebrated within 180 days, otherwise the procedure will lose its validity.
In the case of a Catholic rite, the request for publication must be made directly to the parish priest. In addition to the civil documents listed above, a number of religious documents will be required:
- certificates of Baptism and Confirmation
- certificate of ‘ecclesiastical marital status’ or oath in front of the parish priest, in which the bride and groom declare that they have not previously been married;
- nihil obstat, if the ceremony takes place in a parish other than their own;
- a certificate of participation in the premarital course.
The duration of the premarital course may vary from 2 to 3 months. During this period, the couple meets the parish priest once a week, in order to prepare for married life and the creation of the new family. Religious marriage, defined as concordat, has no legal value in itself. After the wedding, the parish priest transmits the deed and requests its transcription in the civil register.
Organise your wedding at the Antiche Scuderie Odescalchi
The Antiche Scuderie Odescalchi, surrounded by centuries-old woods and English-style gardens, host unique and original events, with attention to every detail. The refined internal rooms, versatile and equipped with fireplaces, are ideal for weddings in grand style, but also for receptions with a small number of guests. The structure is granted on an exclusive basis for weekends and midweek, all year round. The green areas, climate permitting, can accommodate various stages of the wedding, including the authentic civil ceremony on site. In fact, thanks to a special collaboration with the Municipality of Bracciano, it is possible to celebrate the civil wedding directly on the premises. This is a solution much appreciated by the bride and groom and their guests, who can enjoy the whole day without having to make expensive journeys. For those who choose the Catholic rite, the Bracciano area offers a wide choice of magnificent churches, such as the Cathedral of Santo Stefano and the charming church of Santa Maria del Riposo, located just 3 km from our estate. This little gem, the result of a long and careful restoration, is always available for couples who choose the Scuderie and is booked directly by the property, which has a well-established relationship with the parish priest and the Forum Clodii cultural association.
If you have decided to get married in 2023, contact us now to visit the Antiche Scuderie Odescalchi: tel. 06.9988152 – cell. 347.0330807. Our location manager, Ylenia Incecchi, will show you a wide range of options and will help you to choose among our best partners: wedding planners, banqueting companies, floral designers, musicians, DJs, photographers, videomakers, car rental companies, accommodation facilities for the eventual accommodation of the bride, groom and guests, etc.. To realise a tailor-made wedding, with attention to the smallest details, without worries and without stress.
